The purpose of this project is to explore the great variety and abundance of the marine environment for molecular models of neurochemical systems. In particular we search for species of phenomena which display an amplification (or simplification) of human or mammalian physiology (e.g. electric eel, aplysial). We have used the sea urchin embryo to study the biosynthesis of plasma membranes. Of special interest to us is the question of how certain membrane constituents are built into the membrane or are activated into functional units there. We have also tried this year to obtain primary cultures from the brains of teleosts and elasmobranchi.